Cable tension regulator



Nov. 21, 1944.

J. W. CADE CABLE TENSION REGULATOR Filed Feb. 7, 1944 lNVE TOR Jo/7w 6140s BY 6 a my,

ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 21, 1944 the tension in cables,

CABLE TENSION REGULATOR John W. Cade. La Canada, Cali! assignor to l Sturgess, Inc., Glendale. Calit, a corporation of California Application Februaryl,1 9d4, SerlalNo. 521,388 i invention relates to devices for cables of air craft.

The principal object of the invention is to i provide a simple, dependable tensioncontrolling device for the above purpose. Special features and advantages oi the invention will appear in the following description and accompanying drawing;

In the drawing,

invention. i h o i Fig. 2 is a cross section of Fig. 1 as seen from F the line 2-2 thereof.

Fig. 3 is a plan view, partly in longitudinal cross regulating particularly 1 the control 14 Claims. (0]. 74-501 Myinve ntion accomplishes the above purpose.

and others in an extremelyeflicient, simple and compact device,- and comprises essentially :an elongated body or bar with a spring urged rela tively slidable bearing member orblock embracing the bar. Either member is adapted to be fixed or anchO Cd, and the pair of control cables o Fig. 1 is a plan view partly in longitudinalcross section; showing oneconstruction embodying my are respectively secured to the free member to pull against the spring to maintain the desired tensionin both cables, but they areconnected to the free member through the medium of a ball ancing or rocking lever so that any out of balance pull on the two cables will:.cock{ or cant the bearing member on the bar and at once grip section showinga modification oi the invention as expressed in Fig. 1.

FigJ4 is a cross section of Fig. 3 as seen from the line 4-4 thereof.

another modification of the in- Fig. 6 is across sectionoi Fig. 5as seen from the 1ine*6-6 thereof. i

l canted position. i h i i 1 Fig. 9 shows a one-waylocking hub when canted.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional view showing the multiple friction plates in the hub of the member which: rocks relatively to thebody or bar member.

Fig. 8 shows thehub of Fig. 'l in exaggerated In control cables foraircrai't generally it is required that some device insure that all slack betalren up and a minimum working tension be cables atall time's substantially maintained in the when the eontrolled elements are in neutral or intermediate position (notwithstanding the fact that the cables stretch with use and the distance between the operating ends of the control cables J and the movable part operatedor controlledby the remote endsof the cables varies constantly with temperature changes), but upon a pull or increased tension being applied"to either one of a pairof cooperating control cables, the minimum tension maintaining device will at once become locked out or inert sothat the control cables from that moment function, as properly ten sioned through cables, until the extra operating tension on the one is reduced to the same tension as the other cableof the pair and; at which time the tensioning device is automatically unlocked and again functions to take upslack or relieve over strain, until such time, as a Pull on either cable repeats the above cycle;

i h Fig. 5 is a plan view partly in longitudinal cross section showing vention.

its vopposite sides and lock the two members togetheragainst anyfurther sliding action until i the balanced pull on the cables is restored.

The invention takes several detailed forms as shown in the drawing, tho all operate n the principle above set out and which I believe to be new in this art.

In all figures of the drawing the bar rnember is designated I and the relatively slidable member embracing the bar is designated 2, the rocking lever 3, the spring 4, fixed spring saddle at one end of the. spring 5,11ioating spring saddle atopposite end of the spring 8,1 are anchorgholes,

and 8 are holes in the opposite ends or the rocking lever to which the ends of the cables dotted at 9 and 9' are attached or connected. i

In the design of Fig. 1 the bar I is preferably of,metal, and is oblong in cross section and is the relatively ilxedmember to be secured to some part vof the air craft. .Slidable member 2 is a hub and preferably a free slidingfit on the recltangularbar I so that if it were canted on the bar its edges would impinge against the bar and iefiectively lock it against iurther sliding until it H was againstraightened up at right. angles with the bar as shown. The hub may be of solid metal (as shown in Figs. 3 to 6) but in order to get an increased grip upon thebar the hub is preferably hollow and fitted interiorly with a plurality of loose plates or washers as shown at, In as will be later more fully described.

. Projecting outward from slidable member are lever arms] provided at their outer ends with holesfor attaching the ends, respectively, of a pair of cooperating control cables dotted at land 9'. The arms 3 form a lever firmly secured to slidable hub 2 and extending transversely of the longitudinal axis of the bar so that any unequal pull on the cables will cant the hub 2 to locking '5.

position.

Blidable member 2 isnormallyurged to slide equal cable tension.

along the bar in a direction tending to maintain -..the cables under the required tension, and to take up any slack d'e'velopedor yield to any relative shrinking of the cables or expansion of the fuselage or other structure upon which the device is mounted. This is accomplished by the coiled compression spring 4 which surrounds the bar I and reacts between the fixed saddle which also surrounds the bar and is suitably secured thereto asby a pin II- or any other means, and the floating saddle 6 which is preferably provided with a pair of ears-I2 pivoted at II to opposite sides of the hub 2 on an axis extending at right spring pressure tending to straighten the hub when once canted or cocked on the bar by un- I The spring is always under compression, and to limit its expansion a suitable stop should be Y provided, such as a pin I4 projecting from the bar.

Regarding the hub 2, it is evident from the construction setlout for Figs. 1 and 2 the bar is gripped at its narrow edges only when the hub is canted by any unequal pull on the cables, and to get a better gripping effect the thin plates III may beused. Figs. '7 and 8 show the construction of this more clearly and from which it will be seen that the hub is recessed at opposite edges of the bar as at I5 and within the recesses are a number of thin plates I0. These plates may be of metal or of friction fiber. A non-rusting metalsuch as Monel metal has been found satisfactory. The plates are free enough in the recess to slide against one another when the hub 2 is canted to position shown in Fig. 8 and all bring their 1 edges tobear with great pressure upon the bar to thus lock the hub from any further sliding onthe bar until the hub is again righted. For

convenience of insertion of the thin plates a removable cover plate I6 is provided at one side of the recess and held in place as by screws II or it may be welded. i

While the drawing shows the bar I' of Figs. 1

and 2 as rectangular, and which is a simpleway to maintain the plane of the arms 2 and cables incorrect position, still the bar may be round, as shown for the other figures to be described.

' In the construction of Figs. 3 and 4 the operation is the'same for the similarly enumerated parts described for Figs. 1 and 2, and the only difference is that the bar I is round and maybe either solid or a piece of'pipe and has a pair of flattened ends I either formed on or welded thereto and which are provided with the anchor holes 1. I

In this figure the fixed spring saddle 5 is shown secured to the bar as by welding at I8, and the floating spring saddle 6 is positioned within the end wall IQ of a tube which forms an extensionof the floating saddle and a covering for the I spring, the extreme end of the tube 20 being formed with ears I2 pivoted to'the hub 2 as at l3 as described :for Fig. 1; except that in Fig. 3 the pivot pin I3 passes entirely through a slot of the lever arms 3' and cables'in the desired I into a keyway 23 formed along one side of the plane. The slot 2| also functions as a two-way limit stop forv the maximum desired sliding motion of the hub 2. While in this design th hub 2 is shown solid, it is manifest that it may be internally fitted with plates ID as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 7 and 8.

In the construction shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the canting relation of bar and hub is reversed from that of Figs. 1 and 3 in that here it is the bar which is provided with the cable attaching lever,

and the hub member 2 is anchored, so that it isbar I to prevent the parts from turnin if this is desired, and also to form a limit stop for sliding travel.

The other spring saddle 5 is at the extreme end of the bar I and held from coming off by alock nut 24 or any other suitable means.

At the opposite end of the bar the tilting or canting lever or cable attaching arms 3 are rigidly secured as by pins, welding, or any other desired means. The hubmay of course also be fitted with thin loose plates as described for Figs. 1 and 2. 1 3 I While it will be plain from a consideration of the drawing that upon tilting the hub or block 2 relative to the bar I the parts are at once looked against sliding in ,either directiornyet in some cases it may be desired to always permit sliding of the hub in direction urged by the tensioning springl but not in the opposite direction. In such cases it sufllces to round off the edges of the hole in the hub at one side only as indicatedat 25, in exaggerated form in Fig. 9, and wherein the parts may be forcibly slid in direction of the arrows but are rigidly locked. against opposite direction of movement.

In Figs. '7 and.8 the thin friction plates. are shown applied to a fiat bar as of Figs. 1 and 2, but it is manifest that they will equally apply to a round bar or shaft and will then besimple round washers surrounding the bar, and would appear the same as shown in these figures.

The word bar or bar member; as. used herein and in the claims is intended to mean any elongated member along which the hub member or its equivalent moves along under tensionof the spring and cable pull. I

' The word "cable or cables as used herein and in the claims are intended to include any other tension members which may be interposed in the lengths of cables, such as ropes, chains of its possible variations it will beevident that other modifications may be made within the spirit of the invention and scope of my appended claims.

2| formed in the bar so as to maintain the plane I therefore claimz 1. In a cable tension regulatorof the character described, an elongated guide member. a

block member slidable along said guide member, andsaid block member being of a length adapted when canted relative to the guide member to bind on the guide member and thus become locked against sliding movement until uncanted, means for connecting a pair of cables to one of the members respectively at points laterally spaced from the center-of said guide member so that an unequal pull on said cables will cant said members relatively for locking them against ,relative sliding movement.

2. In a cable tension regulator of the character described, an elongated guide member, a block member slidable along said guide member, and said block member being of a length adapted when canted relative to the guide member to bind on the guide member and thus become locked against sliding movement until uncanted,

means for connecting a pair of cables to one of the members respectively at points laterally spaced from the center of said guide member so that an unequal pull on said cables will cant said member relatively for locking them against relative sliding movement, means for anchoring the other of said members, and means resiliently urging the member to which the cables are connected indirection for tensioning the cables.

3. In a cable tension regulator 01' the character described, an elongated guide member, a block members slidable along said guide member, and said block member being of a length adapted when canted relative to the guide memberto bind on the guide member and thusbecome locked against sliding movement until uncanted, a coiled spring arranged to resiliently urge the block member along the guide member, and means pivotally fulcruming the spring against the block member.

4. In a cable tension regulator of the character described, an elongated guide member, a block member slidable along said guide member, and said block member being of a length adapted when canted relative to the guide member to bind on the guide member and thus become locked against sliding movement until uncanted, a coiled spring arranged to resiliently urge the block member along the guide member, and means pivotally fulcruming the spring against the block member substantially at the central axis of the block member to facilitate its canting action.

5. In a cable tension regulator of the character described, an elongated guide member, a block member slidable along said guide member, and said block member being of a length adapted when canted-relative to the guide member to bind on the guide member and thus become locked against sliding movement until uncanted, a coiled spring arranged to resiliently urge the a block member along the guide member. and

means pivotally fulcruming the spring against the block member substantially at the central axis 01' the block member to facilitate its canting action. and means extending from opposite plurality of plates positioned within said block I member in edgewise contact with said guide member and said plates being free enough to slide against one another to be forced against the guide edgewise as the block is canted relative to the guide member.

8. In a structure as set out in claim 2, said block member being rounded at one end only where it normally contacts the guide member so that it will lock against slidable movement in one direction only when canted.

9. In a structure as set out in claim 2, said elongated guide member being a fiat sided bar, and said block member being a hub slidably em- 7 bracing said bar.

10. In a structure as set out in claim 2, said elongated guide member being a cylindrical barlike member, and said block member being a hub slidably embracing said bar-like member and provided with a pin engaging a longitudinal groove formed in said bar-like member.

11. In a structureas set out in claim 2, said elongated guide member being a cylindrical barlike member, and said block member being a hub slidably embracing said bar-like member and provided with a pin passing through a slot formed in said bar-like member.

12. In the construction set out in claim 3, said last mentioned means being a tube covering the coiled spring and pivoted at one end to the block member. i

of the other member adapted for connecting to I a pair of cables to 'be tensioned by said spring and whereby an unequal pull on the ends of the lever ni'eans will cant said other member and lock it against sliding movement until said other a member is uncanted.

14. A cable. tension regulator comprising an elongated member and a block member slidably engaging said elongated member for relative movement therealong, said block member formed in a manner for locking in its sliding engagement upon the members being relatively canted, means for anchoring one oi. said members, lever means on the other member adaptedfor connection to cables to be tensioned and for canting said other,

member upon unequal pullqon said cables, and

resilient means urging said other member to slide v in direction for tensioning said cables.

JOHN W. CADE. 

